The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-05
A JAIL BUILDERS CRIME.
HEROES THE FIRM HE RBPRESBNTS
AND LEAVES THE CITY.


j. B. Crock er's Career III Savannah and
His Flight-He Enters as Candidate
for a Place in the New Jail Which He
Helped to Construct
One of the first occupants of the new Jail
will probably be very gay young man
who spent part of his time in aiding in its
construction. His name is j. B. Crocker,
and he came here from Louisville about two
months ago to represent the firm Of Fred j.
Never & Co., of Louisville, which has the
contract for the iron work in the building.
Crocker was to superintend the work, and
he left Louisville with about 5000 of ex-
pense money in his pocket. When he reached
this city instead Of going to work he started
IN to see how quick he could get rid OF that
$500, and it did not take him long. Find
ing himself without funds be drew draft
on Meyer & Co. for 800 more and secured
the Endorsement of Mr.. Bowe, the contrac-
Tor, He then cashed the draft and this
money soon followed tho course the other
had taken
Crocter raj very dissipated man, and
he threw h. moRsy away on people of the
worst class. He spent all that he could get,
aud soon fouol himself heavily in debt.
He sought loans fir Ha those who had as
sisted him to spend what he had, and
as usual in such cases, he was unsuccessful
He played several wild pranss here, and got
himself into more than one difficulty. About
July 4 he went to fhunderbort, Snd while
there he got into a quarrel and was arrested.
He was fined $40 for disordsriy conduct, in
the Mayors Court next morning. He had
no money, and would have had to accept
the alternative of ten days in Jail had not
Mr.. Robertson, of the British Consular
Office, taken pity on him and paid the fine:
d few days later Croker hired team and
Gleason did not like to trust the turn
OUT 70 him, so he sent a boy
With him. As soon as Croker got
ont Of Eght of the stable he put the boy out,
and he then drove nobody knows where, but
Mr. Gleason had hard time getting his
buggy back These are only samples of
Crocker's escapades, which are numerous.
Early in August his debts and difficulties
so embarrassed him that he left the city,
and nothing has besp heard of him since.
Tbs firm recalled Mr. c. J. Gilbert,
the gen yral agent, who was then
in the West, and he came down here
to str tighten out the affairs of the concern.
He found that Crocker's defalcation will not
amount to more than 800 or $500, he thinks,
but still his business was left in such an ex-
tremely bad condition that he does not
know wndb Gne maj OuUCOIne Will De. ne
said that the firm did not know where
Crocker had gone but it proposed TO find
him IL possible and make him
suffer for what he had done. The amount
of the loss is Insignificant, and it is not be-
cause of the loss that the firm desires to
prosecute him, but, said Mr.. Gilbert,
Meyers & Co. feel very badly that
any man who had the right to
use their name should have come here
and acted in such a way. The house prides
itself on its good name, and that is the
reason that Croker will be sent to the coal
mines if possible, Croker is an Eastern
man and he is said to have come from
good family He is supposed to be now in
this section of the country. for when he left
here he had no money on which to travel.
Meyer & Co. are making vigorous efforts to
catch him, and if they can secure him he
will be brought back and lodged in the Jail
he helped to make so strong.